Ace Hardware Corporation, the world's largest hardware cooperative, plans to open a more than 1 million-square-foot Retail Support Center in Visalia, California. The project is expected to create more than 400 jobs in the region.

The new facility will augment the company's Rocklin, California (Greater Sacramento Area) and Prescott Valley, Arizona distribution centers and will be centrally located in California, between Sacramento and Los Angeles. Construction is scheduled to begin later this year with the facility being fully operational in early 2023.

"Ace Hardware continuously evaluates distribution capabilities to ensure we meet our growing business demands and offer the best support and service to Ace retailers and our wholesale customers," said Jeff Gooding, Corporate Vice President of Marketing, Ace Hardware. "Opening this new facility is essential for Ace to keep up with our historic growth and better serve our network of retailers, and ultimately, our Ace customers."

Ace said it has recently built or is in the process of building several new facilities around the country as the company continues to grow. Ace's network of distribution facilities, strategically located around the world, serve more than 5,500 retail locations. The new Visalia distribution center will serve more than 300 Ace affiliated stores servicing multiple states.